1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to carpet loading devices and more specifically it relates to a carpet loading system for easily loading, transporting and unloading a roll of carpet without requiring significant physical exertion by an individual.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Carpet loading devices have been in use for years. Typically, these devices utilize winches or other complex mechanisms to load the carpet. Also, many carpet loading devices require significant physical exertion by the user to load, transport and unload the carpet. Hence, there is a need for a carpet loading system that can easily load, transport and unload a roll of carpet without requiring significant physical exertion by an individual.
Examples of carpet loading devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,004 to Mills; U.S. Pat. No. 1,704,841 to Sacerdote; U.S. Pat. No. 1,602,112 to Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 2,572,945 to Quesnoit; U.S. Pat. No. 26,421 to Fancher, U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,762 to Alexander; U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,576 to Drew; U.S. Pat. No. 1,708,854 to Stahlhut; U.S. Pat. No. 1,378,631 to Stone; U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,313 to Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,972 to Drew et al which are all illustrative of such prior art.
Mills (U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,004) discloses a self-loading carpet cart. Mills teaches an endless conveyor belt positioned about a frame with two wheels, and a winch system for engaging the carpet. Winch systems are not only dangerous, but are time consuming to operate. Further, winch systems cannot be utilized in enclosed areas where the rear portion of the carpet roll is against a wall or under a carpet rack. Mills also requires the use of a ramp that can snag the edge of the carpet roll thereby causing damage to the carpet roll and stopping the loading of carpet. The ramp also can get caught on cracks in concrete, ridges, gravel or dirt. Additionally, Mills does not teach a means for supporting the complete roll of carpet, which are typically 12 feet in length. Because there is no longitudinal support in Mills, a portion of the carpet roll typically sags downwardly during transportation thereby engaging the ground or other objects during transporting. The handles disclosed in Mills require significant physical exertion to manipulate and control the cart when loaded with a heavy carpet roll. Finally, Mills does not teach a means for automatically turning off the winch system when the carpet roll has been centered upon the cart.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for easily loading, transporting and unloading a roll of carpet without requiring significant physical exertion by an individual.
In these respects, the carpet loading system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily loading, transporting and unloading a roll of carpet without requiring significant physical exertion by an individual.